Doesn't the Bible advocate slavery?

“[I was] wondering why the verse you quoted on your Facebook page is talking about how to handle slavery, property rights and killing blasphemers. Don’t get me wrong. I have been addicted to this page the last two days.” – Robin T.

The Old Testament contains 613 precepts of Hebrew law: moral (for example, the Ten Commandments), civil (if you steal an ox you pay back an ox – what we call “restitution”) and ceremonial (ordinances of worship – what to wear, building the Tabernacle, etc.). A slave in Scripture is also called a “bond servant.” If someone got into debt, they could pay off that “bond” by working for the person to whom they owed money.

Nowadays we throw people into prison, costing the state billions, and no one gets paid back. In American history, human beings were kidnapped from other countries and sold into cruel slavery. Kidnapping under Hebrew law, however, was outlawed and was punishable by death.

The “property rights” of which you spoke falls under civil law. Regarding the killing of blasphemers – the moral law called for capital punishment for blasphemy. All of humanity will be judged by the moral law (see Romans 2:12 and James 2:12). You shall not lie, steal, murder, covet, blaspheme, etc., are universally binding. Jesus warned that not one tittle of the law will fail. It is merciless, and those who have violated it in letter (physically) or in spirit (in thought-life – hatred, lust) will end up in God’s prison (a terrible place called “hell”), without parole. That’s why we are so desperate for you to listen to us and to believe what the Bible says.

We are all guilty (our death is proof of that – see Romans 6:23), but God is rich in mercy and will completely forgive us. In His great kindness He provided a Savior, who took our punishment upon Himself. We broke God’s law, but Jesus paid our fine. That means, because of the suffering death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, God can legally dismiss our case. He can let us live forever. That’s why the word “gospel” means “good news.” Humanity couldn’t want better news.

“Believe it or not, I used to be a Christian.” – Melissa H.

I have a question for you, Melissa. Please take a moment to carefully think of the implications before you answer.

You said that you “used to be a Christian.” So are you therefore saying that you knew the Lord. Is that correct (because that’s the biblical definition of a Christian – to know the Lord)?

The answer creates a dilemma for someone who believes that she is an atheist.

If you answer “Yes,” then you are admitting, as a professing atheist, that God does exist.

So you are forced to default to “I thought I did. But I didn’t.”

So you didn’t know the Lord. You were never a Christian. You had a false conversion.

You are not alone. Millions have had false conversions and they sit in churches faking it. The Bible calls them goats among the sheep (goats in Israel can’t be easily distinguished from sheep). You, however, like many other false converts, didn’t stay among Christians and fake it for too long. You left the church and became inoculated against the Christianity that you believe didn’t deliver on its promises.

Almost everyone who falls in this category is the tragic result of a false gospel, and they, like you, have been immunized against the truth. If you would like to know why and how you fell into deception, please take the time to listen to “Hell’s Best Kept Secret” and then “True and False Conversion,” on LivingWaters.com. These are free audios.